Nummer twee: Chinese vrouw met draak c. 1830

Yashima Gakutei created this print titled "Nummer twee: Chinese vrouw met draak" some time between 1786 and 1868. The composition features a woman positioned beneath a massive dragon figure; note the contrast in scale between the woman and the dragon. The woman is adorned in patterned robes and elaborate hair ornaments, but it’s the dragon’s imposing presence and the tree that command the viewer's immediate attention. The dragon, rendered in dark hues, looms over the scene. It’s through the juxtaposition of these elements—the minute detailing of her garments against the bold lines of the dragon and tree—that Gakutei constructs a visual hierarchy. Consider the use of space and form here: how do the dense clusters of leaves and the dragon’s sinuous body press in on the central figure? This might represent the interplay between internal, personal spaces and the external forces that shape them. Perhaps it questions the viewer's understanding of power, vulnerability, and the symbolic language of art.